1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that aids people in the timely taking of medication and the management of taking the medication.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Many medicines, if not appropriately time managed, will loose some if not all of their efficacy. Accordingly, one challenge for people taking medication is remembering to take the medication at the appropriate times as prescribed by the doctor. For a person taking a medication on an ad hoc basis, such as the poison ivy sufferer on a twelve day prednisone program, this challenge is easy enough. Such a person, having acquired a temporary malady, is made uncomfortable by the malady, and is quite motivated to return to a normal state and such a person tends to be very successful in substantially fulfilling the medication regime established by that person""s physician.
More often the problem is found with the person who suffers from a long term or even chronic problem such as a person suffering from arthritis. Over time, such a person becomes accepting of the condition and may loose some of the strong desire to fight the ailment experienced initially upon acquiring the condition, especially upon realizing that the condition is only being managed and not cured. In such circumstances, the person reaches a plateau with the condition and looses some connection between the medication being taken and its effects on the condition. Such a person may tend to be less than perfect in following the medication regiment.
The problems grow more acute for a person who suffers from more than one ailment or who is required to take more than one medication for the ailment from which the person suffers. Medications come in a wide variety of regiments. Some medications are taken three times a day, some are taken in the morning before a meal, some are taken in the morning after a meal. Some medications are taken every other day, some are taken every four hours while others are taken every six or eight hours. Countless other regiments are known depending on the medication, the condition being treated, the particular person taking the medication, the other medications being taken by the person, etc. For all but the most organized and motivated individual, errors in following the regiment of one or more medications will occur, sometimes with very adverse results. Even if the person is very determined, a medication bottle may be visually missed by such a person as the sea of medication bottles is surveyed in the medicine cabinet during known pill taking times.
One system that many people employ in order to overcome the problem with multiple medication regiments, is that such people will, either at the end of every night or first thing in the morning, take out every pill that is to be taken that day and place the pills in a single container and will take each pill at the appropriate time. Some such systems will have multiple cavities so that the pills may be placed into, for example seven different cavities so that an entire week""s worth of medication can be prepared and stored at one time.
While this system may prove more reliable for many individuals than pure rote memory, it has many drawbacks. In the first place, many people many not recognize the pills once they are out of the container and may improperly take the medication at the wrong time, believing the pill to be a different pill. Furthermore, some pills in prolonged contact with other pills may contaminate such other pills potentially leading to adverse effects. Additionally, the containers that are used to hold such pills tend to lack the child safety features found on modern medicine bottles creating the potential for a child to easily gain access to the medication stored therein.
Another method employed to keep people on track with their medication regiment is to use some form of calendering system, which system is located proximate the storage area of the medicine. Such calendering systems typically have each medication listed along with the times each medication is to be taken and some form of check off system for recording the consumption of each medication. Such systems work reasonably well, although shortcomings can be found.
Typically, a calendering system is attached to a fixed point such as a wall that is close to the storage location of the medication or is attached to the inside cupboard door wherein the medication is being stored. This means that the calendering system is one step removed from the medication. A person must retrieve and take the medication and then turn to the calendering system to make the appropriate entry. While this is not a big step, it can be easy to forget especially for a relatively busy person. Additionally, a person who frequently travels may forget to take the calendering system along with the medication when traveling.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a medication management system that addresses the above-stated problems in the art. Specifically, such a system must provide a convenient method whereby a person can manage one or more medication taking regiments. Such a system must allow the medication to remain in its original container without the need to be transferred to a container that is less child safe or where the medication can adversely interact with other medications. Such a system must be intertwined with the medication itself and must provide for ease of travel for the person who travels. Ideally, such a system should be relatively simple in design and operation.
The medication management system and method of the present invention address the aforementioned needs in the art. Specifically, the medication management system provides a convenient method whereby a person can manage one or more medication taking regiments quickly and easily. The medication management system allows the medication to remain in its original container and does not require that the medication be transferred to a container that is less child safe or where the medication can adversely interact with other medications. The medication management system of the present invention is intertwined with the medication itself and provides for ease of travel for the person who travels. The medication management system is of relatively simple design and is simple in operation.
The medication management system of the present invention is comprised of a first container that has a first base, a first side wall extending upwardly from the first base, and a first open top, the first container being adapted to hold a first medicine bottle, which first medicine bottle holds a first medicine therein which first medicine is to be consumed by a person on a first regiment of time. A plurality of first openings are located on the first side wall. At least one first label is located proximate one of the plurality of first openings, each first label having first markings thereon that correspond to the first regiment of time of the first medicine. A first peg is receivable within one of the plurality of first openings. A second container has a second base, a second side wall extending upwardly from the second base, and a second open top, the second container being adapted to hold a second medicine bottle, which second medicine bottle holds a second medicine therein which second medicine is to be consumed by the person on a second regiment of time. A plurality of second openings are located on the second side wall. At least one second label is located proximate one of the plurality of second openings, each second label having second markings thereon that correspond to the second regiment of time of the second medicine. A second peg is receivable within one of the plurality of second openings. The first peg is received within the first opening that is located proximate the first label that corresponds to the most current first time within the first regiment that the first medicine has been consumed by the person and the second peg is received within the second opening that is located proximate the second label that corresponds to the most current second time within the second regiment that the second medicine has been consumed by the person. The first side wall is positioned in non-normal orientation relative to the first base and the second side wall is positioned in non-normal orientation relative to the second base. The first container is attached, either fixedly or removably, to the second container. The base of the first container may nest within the second open top of the second container.